Page 94 of The Plus One
Harper and Dan were still at the table, leaning close. Dan fed Harper a bite of cake, and she beamed, licking her lips and saying something that made him laugh.
“Dira?”
Indira jumped at the closeness of the voice. She turned, taking in Chris towering over her.
“Oh boy,” Indira said, frowning up at him.
“Mind if I sit for a minute?” he asked, gesturing at the open seat next to her.
Indira gave him a dull look but eventually waved her hand. “Be my guest.”
Chris clumsily pulled out the chair, fidgeting as he sat, eyes shifty and knee bouncing.
“I—uh—How are you?” Chris asked, coughing.
Indira looked at him, forcing him to meet her gaze. “I’m really good,” she said, meaning it.
Chris nodded a few times, pressing his lips together in a tight line. “Good. Good,” he said, still nodding.
Indira let the awkward silence linger, studying him.
“I, uh, I just wanted to say I’m sorry,” Chris blurted out, glancing at her, then looking away again.
More silence.
“I’m sorry for cheating on you,” Chris said, a bit softer this time, finally looking at her. “For hurting you.”
“Where’s this coming from?” Indira asked tersely.
Chris let out a pained laugh. “Well, the truth doesn’t make me any less of an asshole, but seeing how happy you and Jude are together… it stung a bit. And then it was kind of a wake-up call to how shitty I was with how I handled everything. And I’m sorry.”
Indira sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, turning that over.She looked at him, at the man she’d thought she loved. The person she’d wanted so badly to be content with.
They’d never stood a chance.
“I forgive you,” she said, meaning it. “It fucking sucked to walk in on something like that, but all’s well that ends well, I guess.”
She didn’t want to carry that anger anymore; it took more work to sustain than she was interested in putting into it. Her life felt too full for any more ill will toward him. They sat together in comfortable silence, watching the party unfold.
“Don’t do this to anyone else,” Indira said, eyes landing on Lauren across the room as she braided the flower girl’s hair. “Don’t hurt someone by cheating on them ever again. It’s not fair. It’s not right.”
Chris nodded, gaze dropping to his lap. “I promise.”
Indira let the silence sit for a beat before clearing her throat and changing her tone. “Lauren looks really nice tonight. She’s way out of your league.”
Chris laughed, looking across the room. His lips twitched up at the corners. “I agree.”
“You seem different with Jude,” Chris said after a moment, nodding at the person in question as he reentered the barn at the opposite end, scanning the scene.
“What do you mean?” Indira asked, her gaze fixed on Jude’s handsome face, the sharp lines of his suit creating a devastating effect.
Jude’s eyes finally landed on Indira, and he smiled, starting toward her. She almost laughed when Jude noticed Chris sitting next to her, his brow furrowing and pace doubling.
Chris shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. “When you look at him… there’s just sort of, I don’t know, a spark in you. You look at him like he’s the most special person in the world, and he looks back at you with the exact same expression. It’s… uh… I’m happy for you.”
She glanced at Chris for a moment before her eyes fixed back on Jude. “I’m happy for me too,” she said, smile unfettered. “Excuse me.”
Indira stood up, walking toward Jude, wanting to kiss that ridiculously cute face and whisper sarcastic comments into his too-big ears. Laugh and hug him and pour all her happiness into him.
